Animal Care Manager Salary in the United States

How much does an Animal Care Manager make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Animal Care Manager in the United States is $50,607 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $24.

However, an Animal Care Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $58,035
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $45,764 to $54,495
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $41,354

Key Factors That Influence Animal Care Manager Salaries

An Animal Care Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Animal Care Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Animal Care Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $48,925
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $49,262
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $51,249
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $52,964
  • Expert (over 8 years): $53,270
Levels Salary
Entry Level Animal Care Manager$48,925
Intermediate Level Animal Care Manager$49,262
Senior Level Animal Care Manager$51,249
Specialist Level Animal Care Manager$52,964
Expert Level Animal Care Manager$53,270

How Do Animal Care Manager Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Animal Care Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $56,032.
  • California: $55,819.
  • Massachusetts: $55,075.

Top Paying Cities for Animal Care Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $63,830
  • San Francisco: $63,132
  • Oakland: $61,801

What Skills Can Increase an Animal Care Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 10.47% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Water Safety (Mentioned in 2.01% Job Postings): Water safety refers to the procedures, precautions and policies associated with safety in, on, and around bodies of water, where there is a risk of injury or drowning
  • Fundraising (Mentioned in 1.09% Job Postings): Fundraising or fund-raising (also known as "development" or "advancement") is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gather money for non-profit organizations, it is sometimes used to refer to the identification and solicitation of investors or other sources of capital for for-profit enterprises. Traditionally, fundraising consisted mostly of asking for donations on the street or at people's doors, and this is experiencing very strong growth in the form of face-to-face fundraising, but new forms of fundraising, such as online fundraising, have emerged in recent years, though these are often based on older methods such as grassroots fundraising.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 10.47%
Water Safety 2.01%
Fundraising 1.09%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Animal Care Manager's salary.

  • Casting: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Chemistry: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Casting $58,704
16%
Staff Development $57,186
13%
Chemistry $56,680
12%

Animal Care Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Animal Care Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 55% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Healthcare sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Animal Care Manager positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Chemicals typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Animal Care Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Animal Care Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$65,789$32.030%
Healthcare$53,137$26.05%

How Education impacts an Animal Care Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Animal Care Managers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Animal Care Manager with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $48,783 and $50,386).

Animal Care Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Animal Care Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.1%
High School 27.8%
Associates 40.2%
Bachelors 26.8%
Masters 2.1%
Doctorate 1.0%

Animal Care Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Animal Care Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$45,764
Average $50,607/year
$54,495
$3,814
Average $4,217/month
$4,541
$880
Average $973/week
$1,048
$22
Average $24/hour
$26
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $54,495 $4,541 $1,048 $26
Average $50,607 $4,217 $973 $24
25th Percentile $45,764 $3,814 $880 $22

Most common benefits for Animal Care Manager

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Animal Care Manager

Here are companies hiring for Animal Care Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Animal Care Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Animal Care Manager?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Animal Care Manager roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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